Two get state prison in credit union robbery

Men told judge they were only followers in Allentown heist, but she wasn't buying it.

October 21, 2009|By Kevin Amerman OF THE MORNING CALL

Two men were sent to state prison Tuesday for their roles in an Allentown credit union heist in 2007 in which the credit union's president was struck in the head with a weapon and nearly $70,000 was stolen.

Asharif Tansmore, 36, of Philadelphia and Terrance T. Meitzler, 31, of Allentown each received sentences of three to six years in state prison. Lehigh County Judge Kelly L. Banach also ordered them to pay more than $67,000 in restitution, along with their co-defendants.

"It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone physically," said Tansmore, wearing a red prison jumpsuit and sporting two black eyes from a jail brawl. "I fell into a follower's status."

Meitzler said he also followed the crowd.

"I should have been a leader, not a follower," he said.

But Banach didn't buy it. She said she viewed surveillance video of the robbery and saw the men wearing gloves and masks and walking with "a swagger" while telling people what to do.

"I saw some of the videos and the victims and witnesses were scared to death," she said. "A follower doesn't have the nerve to pull that off. A follower pees in his pants and takes off."

Both men pleaded guilty in August to robbery and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery -- felonies that each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Meitzler also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession charge.

Police say Tansmore, Meitzler and three other men robbed the First Class Federal Credit Union in Allentown on Sept. 17, 2007, stealing $67,700. During the robbery, the credit union president was struck on the head with what he believed was a gun, police said.

Adrian Glasgow, 32, and Chris Mason, 33, both of Allentown, also pleaded guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery for the holdup. Glasgow was sentenced in July to five to 10 years in prison. Mason was sentenced in August to 51/2 to 11 years in prison.

Another co-defendant, 37-year-old Gregory Brown, was sentenced in July to seven to 14 years in prison for his role in that robbery and for holding up the Paragon Federal Credit Union in west Bethlehem on Nov. 7, 2006. In that robbery, police say Brown and two other men got away with more than $150,000.